Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? PROOF/CONTROL MARKS

Bill M · 11th November 2008, 04:21 PM

I wonder if there is an already made staining material? For gun barrels?

Vinegar and PCB to stain blades is similar in process to what Stu suggested for gun barrels. Clean, degrease, heat blade until it is hot, but not too hot to handle.

Vinegar will clean rust, but I usually use lime, pineapple or lemon juice.

After using vinegar / PCB, I clean residue with ammonia based cleaner (Windex) in order to neutralize the acid.

I also use distilled water. Tap water can, in some areas, cause the stain to become brown or reddish brown due to impurities in the water.

You can expect different results with sword blades, particularly with blades made in pre-industrial regions. Obviously different metals and combinations will give different results.

If you have a sword with a wooden hilt, you want to protect the wood so it does not soak up the solution. I wrap the handle in plastic and use a small amount of oil (I use Tru-oil) where the sword blade enters the handle. Carefully applied, the oil enters the wood and is less damaging than the solution.

11th November 2008, 04:21 PM	#22
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	I wonder if there is an already made staining material? For gun barrels? Vinegar and PCB to stain blades is similar in process to what Stu suggested for gun barrels. Clean, degrease, heat blade until it is hot, but not too hot to handle. Vinegar will clean rust, but I usually use lime, pineapple or lemon juice. After using vinegar / PCB, I clean residue with ammonia based cleaner (Windex) in order to neutralize the acid. I also use distilled water. Tap water can, in some areas, cause the stain to become brown or reddish brown due to impurities in the water. You can expect different results with sword blades, particularly with blades made in pre-industrial regions. Obviously different metals and combinations will give different results. If you have a sword with a wooden hilt, you want to protect the wood so it does not soak up the solution. I wrap the handle in plastic and use a small amount of oil (I use Tru-oil) where the sword blade enters the handle. Carefully applied, the oil enters the wood and is less damaging than the solution.